Distributor cap file



Oct. 15, 1957 W.* A. ADAMS 2,809,419

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII LE United States Patent 6] DISTRIBUTOR CAP FILE William A. Adams, Flushing, N. Y.

Application June 10, 1954, Serial No. 435,699

2 Claims. (Cl. 29-78) This invention relates to tools used in repairing motor vehicles, and in particular a cylindrical file adapted for use in filing contact points embedded in distributor caps.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a hand tool for removing carbon, impurities and pitted surfaces in contact points of distributor caps of motor vehicles to lessen resistance of electric current through distributors and thereby increase or maintain the efficiency of a gasoline engine on which the distributor is used.

The contact points of distributor caps are embedded in Bakelite or other material from which distributor caps are made and with the points permanently secured in position in the caps its is diificult to file or otherwise clean the contacting surfaces of the points and for this reason points of distributor caps are usually brushed with a piece of sandpaper or the like and carbon deposits or films of other materials are very seldom thoroughly cleaned therefrom. With this thought in mind, this invention contemplates a file formed in the shape of a cylinder with a slit or opening therein and with the file suspended from a handle with flexible arms whereby downward pressure on the handle spreads the arms to compensate for contacting surfaces positioned on different diameters in distributor caps.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide a circular file for efiiciently cleaning the distributor points in which the file is readily adjustable to different diam- ;ters and wherein the file is adapted to be rotated by and.

Another object of the invention is to provide a file for cleaning contact points of distributor caps wherein the sloping teeth on the surface of the file are positioned at such an angle that carbon and other impurities and also material removed from the points will be moved upwardly to the upper ends of the contact points thereby preventing material removed by the file working in under the lower edge of the file and interfering with the filing operation.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a cylindrical file for cleaning contact points of distributor caps in which the teeth of the file are positioned whereby material removed thereby is worked upwardly to prevent clogging of the file teeth.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cylindrical file for cleaning contact points of distributor caps in which the file is of a simple and economical construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in view, the invention embodies a split circular band having radially disposed flexible arms extended inwardly to a cup shape handle with serrations in the surface of the handle whereby with the handle held between the thumb and fingers of a hand the band is adapted to be rotated to file the contact points of the distributor.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawing, wherein:

7 2,809,419 Patented Oct. 15, 1957 Figure 1 is a side elevational view showing a distributor cap in an inverted position with part of the cap broken away illustrating the use of the cylindrical file of this invention for cleaning contact points of the cap.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the cylindrical file showing a slit or slot extended through the file.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the file.

Figure 4 is a vertical section .throughthe file taken on line 44 of Figure 3.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts, the improved distributor cap contact point file of this invention includes a band 10 having the file teeth 11 in the outer surface and having a vertically disposed slot 12 extended therethrough, a cup shape handle 13 connected to the band 10 with radially disposed arms 14 which extend from a disc 15 that is connected to a base 16 of the cup 13 with hollow rivets 17 and that are connected to the band 10 with hollow rivets 18 that extend through flanges 19 formed on the outer ends of the arms and connected thereto with arcuate sections 20.

The outer surface of the cup shape handle 13 is provided with vertically disposed serrations 21 to facilitate rotating or spinning the cylindrical file 11 with the file positioned in recesses 22 of contact points 23 of a distributor cap 24.

The edges 25 and 26 of the band 10 forming the file are extended inwardly, as shown in Figure 3, to prevent sharp or square edges striking the contact points.

With the arms 14 comparatively thin downward pressure on the handle or cup 13, with the lower edge of the cylindrical file resting upon shoulders 27 of the contact points causes the file to spread to compensate for points of difierent diameters and by this means the teeth of the file are positioned to operate upon surfaces of the contact points in the recesses 22 as the file is rotated with the device in the position shown in Figure 1.

Although it is preferred to make the file, spring arms and cup shape handle of steel with the parts heat treated, it will be understood that the entire device may be made of any suitable material.

It will also be understood that the teeth 11 of the circular or cylindrical band 10 may be positioned at different angles and the lower edge of the band is beveled, as shown at the point 28, to prevent filings catching under the lower edge of the band. The corners of the arcuate edges 25 and 26 are also rounded as shown at the points 29 and 30, whereby filings may be worked away from the points to prevent the chips working in between the lower edge of the band and shoulders 27 of the points.

It will be understood that other modifications, within the scope of the appended claims, may be made in the design and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a motor vehicle distributor cap point file, the combination which comprises a slit cylindrical band having file teeth on the outer surface, a hollow cup shape handle having a serrated outer surface positioned above the upper edge of the band and on the longitudinal eenter thereof, and spring arms secured to the base of the handle and said arms having flanges on the outer ends thereof for connecting the arms to the band whereby the band is suspended from the handle, said band having arcuate inwardly extended ends, and a beveled lower edge.

2. In a motor vehicle distributor cap point file, the combination which comprises a slit cylindrical band having file teeth on the outer surface, a hollow cup shape handle having a serrated outer surface positioned above the upper edge of the band and on the longitudinal center thereof, and spring arms secured to the base ofthe' handle and said arms having flanges on the outer ends thereof for connecting th e'arms to the band whereby hea d, s su ei m h a le. a d; ndz ying, arcuatqfinwai'dlyextended ends, ancl ;a .beve 1e d lower d 4 id r n a m eing. adan e f spr ads t band ugqn downwardtmovement '01:, the handle;

' ""kei renca Cit di the e fi h s a t Q TATES A ENTS Tucker Jan. 11, Zinn June 9, Fuller Sept. 14, Cameron Mar. 25, Hope July 14, Muller Apr.'5, Hingle Aug. 20, Hyland May 2, Hodgsqn Jan. 1, 

